Forums

Everything posted by Alan Gallery

Presentation use should be only available to businesses and recognised institutions. Possibly to students with ID. Only ever in sizes suitable for on-screen or half A4 print use. Covers are not presentation use.

Try going to reverseimagesearch.org where you can search by a link to the image or upload a copy of the image using Google, Bing and Tineye. There is a plugin/add-on for Firefox called "Search by image" as well. Right click on the image you want to search for and select which search engine you want to use or you can access the upload feature from the task bar camera icon. it may be available for Chrome as well.

I have revived a few of my daughter's laptops by using canned air to blow out the fluff and dust. What happens is debris is sucked into the centrifugal fan from underneath and builds up behind the air slots in the radiator that vents out from the side of the laptop. I have stripped laptops down and removed the wad of fluff but it is a task and a half.
To do it safely: Unplug the laptop and remove the battery if possible. With the battery removed let the laptop sit for a full minute before attempting to use the canned air to allow all capacitors to discharge. Arrange the laptop so that the vent at the bottom has clear space for debris to come out - overhanging the edge of a desk will do. Using a reasonably full air can and holding the can as vertical as possible so that no liquid comes out blow some short sharp blasts (If you see propellant liquid coming out stop and use a new can) through the vent at the side and hopefully most of the debris will be blown out. You need to do this along the full length of the side vent. You may need to pick out some persistent stuff from the bottom vent.
If propellant liquid comes out don't worry it should evaporate in a short time but do not attach the battery or connect the laptop to a power supply until you are confident that all the propellant has evaporated. This will not remove all the debris but it is a simple way get it to around 85% clear.
Modern Mac laptops/MacBooks seem to have a different arrangement of fans and it seems that there is generally a build-up of dirt on the fans as well so it would be a job for a technician.

Marianne wrote:
"I am also extremely happy with the 40-150mm zoom - the inexpensive version - which I got for $99. Someone in this forum recommended it back in 2014 when I got my Olympus mirrorless. It is so light (under 1/2 lb) - and really sharp. I intended to get the pro version eventually but at $1400 and over 1 1/2 lbs, I don't think it's really worth it for what I shoot these days. The other is just so light to take along, I'd keep it for travel even if I got the pro version. "
I also have an old 4/3 version of the 40-150mm that came as part of a kit that is quite sharp and can be picked up on eBay for less than £25. It gives the 50-200mm SWD a run for its money. The SWD focus speed is reasonable on m4/3 while the 40-150 hunts too much to be useful but I will keep is as a backup for my old bodies.

Enable grid if your camera allows it and that tends to work better than the level indicator. If your viewfinder has a visible focus point array use that. Failing that align the edge of the viewfinder frame with the horizontal reference as a guide (this way you can find out if you viewfinder is correctly aligned with your sensor).

The best way to see Manhattan is from Brooklyn Heights and along the waterfront there - consider walking in across the Brooklyn Bridge. Roosevelt island via aerial tramway. Staten island ferry is a free photo platform for views into lower Manhattan and harbour sights (Long lens and good luck with light) and be prepared to sprint around to the departure gates at the Staten island end unless you want to spend time at the terminal there. There was a spot in Greenwich Village that give classic views into the midtown tall buildings that you might recognise from any number of establishing shots from movies and TV from an earlier age, but that is obscured by a recent building. Times Square is way busy and almost impossible to work but Naked Cowboy shows up from time to time. Eats around there at best north of the square up 7th with more choice and less crowds if you walk a few blocks. For real non glitz NY vibe neighbourhoods and parks - even Tomkins Square Park (where 90% of bodies turned up in NYPD Blue) is OK. Other Boroughs are available.

Even all the old Ford Crown Vics are gone from Manhattan at least. It's Toyotas, Nissans and a few domestic models all of which are low emission. Even the gift shop at the Museum of New York only has Prius toy taxis.

Effectively the security guards left their posts went into a public place and interfered with a member of the public going about their lawful business. They have no right to do that as they have no powers of arrest and there in nothing they can legally do. All they have to do is call the police and ask them to investigate and if they were concerned that is what they should have done. Even if the photographer was on the port property all they could have done was tell the photographer to leave on pain of trespass even then they have no right to detain anyone.
I keep a few loose to hand out to the needy, a copy on my phone and laminated one in the back of my bag.

Even though my Alamyrank took a dip two cycles ago I am getting more sales and some semi respectable prices. My own site is selling more as well at good prices. Proper paying businesses see micro sites as well dodgy and unprofessional so paying a bit more at Alamy is not a problem for them. The Federation of Small Businesses has been promoting a better approach to copyright and the message that not having a licence for all the IP on ones website exposes ones business to legal action and damage to reputation.
It is time to remove those images from the micros because even if Alamy is doing better it and we all, could do much better without those images on micros were not cannibalising the market.

Point out that a "statement of truth" is sufficient for the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and provide them with statement of truth along the lines of:
This is a statement of truth.
I declare that the image (ref. No, XXXXXXXXXX) as seen at my website (Link) is my intellectual property.
Signature: _____________________ Date: ___________________
The good news is that the defendant is spending money on a solicitor and they are therefore taking the matter seriously and will cost them more in the end. It is hard to say if the solicitor actually believes that a RAW file is needed as proof (If you don't have the RAW they then claim that you are not a real professional)* as it is one of the standard approaches infringers use as a counter to a claim (apparently there are more people making spurious copyright claims that infringers sic). The other good news is if it goes to court the judges at the IPEC are sick of reading all standard infringer arguments as seen on the internet and it does the infringers case no good.
*even if you have the RAW just don't go there it will just encourage them to pull more stunts.
Good luck

Mark is perfectly right and as he is speaking from direct experience of the process that lends a significant authority to what he has stated. There is a difference between a speculative invoice of the Getty ilk and a claim reasoned and properly made giving the infringer an opportunity to seek advice and make a counter offer. As long as a claimant follows the procedure laid out in the guidance to the IPEC Small Claims Court there is no problem claiming for the normal fee for use plus uplift for various types of flagrancy from the outset and getting it as a judgement. The Webb case is only exceptional in the level of uplift applied to each instance of infringement. Normally at least 100% of the base fee for unauthorised reproduction with the other grounds for flagerancy dependent on how well the case is made.

Gina ask member services if they can change the name on your main pseudonym to the one you want -- I am sure that they will be able to do that. They are very helpful. Doing that will not affect your ranking where as creating a new pseudonym and moving all your images to would mean that the images will have a median rank.

If Alamy are challenged by a company like network rile or national trust by all means suspend sales of the images. But on the basis that those making a challenge accept responsibility for any loss of sales until they make clear what basis they are making a claim with reference to the CDPA 1988 or the relevant legislation in the jurisdiction for which the claim is made and Alamy have time to assess the viability of the claim. I suspect that the NT cull was totally unwarranted and that the NT could not, or simply did not want, to make the distinction between truly commercial use and editorial. Alamy should review the NT claim and if shown to be unwarranted seek damages for lost sales.